Patlıcan Salatası - Smoky Turkish Eggplant Salad
Patlıcan Salatası is a Turkish eggplant salad made with smoky roasted eggplant, sweet peppers, red onion, and a simple olive oil dressing.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 164kcal
Equipment
- 1 kitchen scale
- 1 measuring spoons
- 1 Measuring cups
- 1 lemon juicer
Ingredients
- 2 medium eggplants
- 2 large red peppers (sweet Romano peppers)
- 1 small red onion
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (adjust to your taste)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses (adjust to your taste)
- 2 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves
Instructions
- The first thing you’ll need to do is roast the eggplants, sweet peppers, and red onions, as this is what gives the salad its signature smoky flavor. To stop the eggplants from bursting while cooking, poke each one a few times with a fork or toothpick.
- Set your vegetables over a gas flame or on the BBQ and cook until the skin is nicely charred and the insides are soft, turning them every so often. This usually takes about 10 minutes for the peppers and 20 minutes for the eggplants and red onions to cook through.
- Place the roasted vegetables in a bowl and cover for 10 minutes. This makes the skin easier to remove.
- Peel off the skin and discard any large seeds. Some people like their salad chunky, others prefer it smoother. Chop the eggplant, pepper, and red onion into your preferred size.
- Mince the garlic and chop the parsley.
- In a large bowl, combine the chopped roasted vegetables, garlic, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, and pomegranate molasses.
- Season with salt, paprika, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Patlıcan Salatası tastes great freshly made, but letting it sit for 20–30 minutes helps the flavors blend together.
Notes
- Choose the right eggplants – Medium-sized eggplants tend to have fewer seeds and a softer texture, which works better for this salad.
- Get that smoky flavor – Roasting directly over an open flame or on a BBQ gives the best smoky taste, but you can also roast in the oven under the broiler if needed.
- Peel while warm – The skin comes off more easily if you peel the eggplants while they’re still slightly warm.
- Drain excess liquid – After roasting, let the eggplant sit in a colander for a few minutes so any extra moisture drips out, preventing a watery salad.
- Adjust the texture – For a chunkier salad, keep the vegetables in bigger pieces; for a dip-like consistency, chop everything more finely.
- Let it rest before serving – Giving the salad 15–20 minutes to sit allows the flavors to blend together nicely.
Nutrition
Calories: 164kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 591mg | Potassium: 749mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 2642IU | Vitamin C: 115mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg